Tail section for chain conveyers



Oct. 9, 1945. A. R. LONG ETAL TAIL SECTION FOR CHAIN CONVEYERS Filed March 27, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. A? misiead 11.1.. :1

John B. 1. mi BY: 2 j

ATTORNEYS.

Patenied Oct. 9, 1945 TAIL SECTION. FOB CHAIN CONVEYERS Armistead it. Long, l'ayetteville, W. Va... and John B. lions, United States Navy, Fort Schuyler, N. Y., assigns-rs to Long Super Mine Car Company, Fayetteville, W. vs a corporatier: of West Virginia Application March 27, 1944, Serial No. 528,802

12 Claims. ('01. 198-208) The present invention relates to tail sections.

sometimes called foot sections of mine chain con While such sections are normally used veyers. to receive the material, such as coal, to be conveyed, and hence may be said to be at the receiving ends of the conveyers, it has been found desirable to also use the conveyer-s to deliver materials to workmen at such sections by reversing the direction or travel of the chain conveyors, whereupon the tail sections become the delivery ends of the conveyers. The materials thus delivered to workmen may be timbers, powder, bits, drills, cap boards, etc. Many accidents have resulted at the tail sections from this secondary use of the conveyers. These have been due to the character of mechanism and sometimes to the covers forming parts of tail sections in common use which ordinarily require the workmen to snatch the material from the conveyer before it reaches the tail piece in an attempt to avoid accidents. It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide tail sections conducive to safety when they constitute the delivery ends of the conveyers.

Such tail sections must often be carried or shoved to and from workings in mines where the passageways are small. sometimes no more than two feet in height. Since they must be sturdily built, and often weigh considerable, much labor is required to move them about. It is another object of the invention to provide tall sections which are easier to move about. This is in part accomplished by reducing the over-all height and length, and the weight of the sections, as compared with those in common use, without sacrificing durability. The reduction in height of the tail sections has other advantages among which may be mentioned the ability to use them where coal seams are shallow and are used with face conveyers which have delivery ends above the tall sections, thus often avoiding the necessity of shooting" holes in the roots of the mine cavities to accommodate the delivery ends of the face conveyors. i

Another object of the invention is to provide tail sections which may be located closer to the faces of the mine workings than those in common use, and thus permit the "iace conveyers, which may be loading into the tall sections, to be located closer to the workings than has been the practice in the past.

Due to the character of material moved by chain conveyers, the flights of the chains often become bent and have been a source of trouble in the past. Attempts have been made to avoid such diiiiculties, by allowing considerable clearance for the flights, so that any which may be bent may travel with little or no obstruction. In so doing the over-all height oi the tail sections have been increased thereby rendering the tail sections cumbersome, and entailing more work to locate them in shallow workings. Another object of the invention is to so construct and arrange the parts of the tail sections that desirable clearance for bent flights is maintained, but without needlessly resorting to an increase in over-all dimensions.

To some extent many of these objects and advantages of the present invention are accomplished by using a smaller end sprocket wheel for the usual chain of the conveyer, than those previously used to bring about the return run of chain, and to avoid the use of the so called "hold down or guide sprockets, or roller working above the chain adjacent the end sprocket so as to maintain the conveyer chain and flights in traveling contact with the bottoms of the conveyer pans adjacent the tail section. As an example we may use a. sprocket wheel having a pitch diameter of 4.61 having 6 teeth, instead of one of 5.32 pitch diameter and having 'lteeth commonly used for the usual size conveyer chain which is practically standard in present day use. By the use of the smaller sprocket, and by dispensing with the guide sprocket or roller, the weight and cost 01' the unit is reduced, the overall height of the section is reduced and the upper run of the chain may travel in about the same plane as it travels in the pan sections. There is no abrupt change in the path of the conveyer chain as it leaves or approaches the end sprocket. This latter arrangement is particularly advantageous when the conveyer is used to transport supplies to the workmen, since there is little if any likelihood of such material catching between the chain and sprocket wheel when it reaches the tail piece. Thus the material may be permitted to drop of! the end of the tail piece, and workmen are not required to be alert and snatch the supplies from the conveyer before they reach the tail piece.

It is common practice to provide tail sections with means whereby the chain conveyer may be adiusted lengthwise for proper operation and yet permit it to be slackened so that it may be "broken near the tail section for inserting another pan section as well as an appropriate chain conveyer section, as work progresses in the mine. It is another object of the invention to permit use of such adjusting means in a shorter tail section, without reducing the amplitude of adjustment, and yet permit of ready assembly and dismemberment of the tail piece during manufacture and for repair purposes.

Other Objects and advantages or the invention will appear in the following detailed description of our invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the tail section, a portion of a conveyer chain with one of its flights, and a portion of a conveyer pan coupled 'to the tail section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tail section, portions being broken away and shown in vertical section to disclose preferred details.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same, parallel to the axis of the conveyer, taken directly in front of the sprocket wheel hub.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, on a reduced scale, on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section of an adjustable portion of the tail section.

Fig. 'l is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in section of a portion of adjusting means for tightening and loosening the conveyer chain.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an adjustable bearing block.

In the drawings A designates the tail section of the conveyer; B a pan section coupled thereto, generally termed an intermediate section of the conveyer, several of which are used between the tail section and a head section, not shown in the drawings; C a coupling device between the sections A and B, and which may be of the character generally disclosed in our copending application for United States patent flied November 10, 1942, Serial No. 465,124; and D a conveyer chain, of any suitable type, including flights, one of which is shown at E.

The intermediate pan section B, as shown in Fig. 1, includes a trough, portion l in which the upper run of the conveyer chain D and its flights E travel, such as upon a horizontal plate having side walls 12 diverging upwardly therefrom, as is quite common in the art. The base portion I3 01' the pan section beneath the trough accommodates the lower run of the conveyer chain in the usual manner. The end of the pan section is provided with outstanding end flanges |4 Ior coupling relation with similarly located outstanding end flanges l of the tail section. The pan section may be provided with a transversely extending shoe or runner l6 which may be of the character shown in copending application for United States patent or the present applicant Armistead R. Long, filed January 5, 1945, Serial No. 571,428.

Referring now to the tail section A, it comprises a base or main body portion II, a trough portion H, a tail shaft 19 with end sprocket wheel 20 for cooperation with the conveyer chain D, bearings 2| for the end portions oi? the tail shaft, means 22 for adjusting the position of the bearings longitudinally of the conveyer, devices 23 for applying lubricant to the bearings, an adjustable slide plate 24 and means 25 for supporting the slide plate by the bearings 2|.

In the example shown, the base I! is preferably made mainly of fabricated plate material and rolled metal sections, welded together to render the unit comparatively light in weight. sturdy and susceptible of easy repair. With this in view, it comprises a combined skid and flight guide bottom 28, guides or housings 21 for the bearings 2| adjacent the normal receiving end of the tail section and which may also aid in supporting the trough portion l8, side walls 23 secured to the bottom to mainly support the trough portion Ill, a ground support 29 at the other end portion of the foot section opposite the guides or housings 21, and a cross brace 30 connecting the side walls 28 for bracing and assistance in supporting the trough portion |B..

The bottom 26 is preferably of substantially H-shape in plan as may be observed from Fig. 4 comprising a central portion 3| extending transversely of the tail section, a first pair 01' arms 32 to one side oi portion 3|, serving as guides for the flight E and a second pair of arms 33 upon which the guides or housings 21 are mounted. A relatively large opening 34 is thereby provided between the arms 33 into which bent flights of the conveyer chain may extend as they travel beneath the shaft i3. In this respect the bottom 28 differs from so called "skid pans of tail sections in common use. The free ends oi the arms 33 may be bent upwardly to-provide noses 35 like the forward ends of sled runners to assist workmen in pushing or drawing the tail section over rough surfaces.

It is preferred to curve and elevate the arms 32 above the plane of the arms 33 as shown in Fig. 3 so that their free ends will align with the usual inwardly turned flanges, not shown in the drawings, of conventional intermediate conveyer sections which are provided as guides for the conveyer flights. With this in view, and to afford a ready means for connecting the tail section to ordinary intermediate pan sections, such as In, the ground support 29 is provided, including the flanges i5, which may be the legs of upright angle sections 36, the other legs 31 of which are welded as at 3B or otherwise secured to the side walls 28 and also welded as at 39 to the trough section III; and a transversely extending shoe or runner 4|] welded as at 4| or otherwise secured to the ends of arms 32, and welded as at 42 or otherwise secured to the lower ends of flanges IS.

The guides or housings 21 are each preferably made of major vertical end plates 43 and 44, minor intermediate vertical plates 45 and 4G, horizontal upper plate 41, horizontal lower channel section or plate 48 and vertical side plate 49, with guide rib ill on the under side of plate 41 and guide rib 5| on the upper side oi plate 48. The plates 43 serve also to brace side walls 52, which preferably have upper outstanding flanges 53, of the trough portion IB. Walls 45 and 46 are also primarily braces for the side walls 52 and flanges 53, but wall 45 also functions as an abutment for the end wall 44 which is removable in order to place and remove the bearings 2| and parts carried thereby. The horizontal lower channel section 48 has its downwardly extending flanges 54 welded, as at 55, to the top of its respective arm 33 of the frame bottom 26. The end plate 43 has its lower margin welded, as at 58, to the same arm 33, its inner side margin welded, as at 51, to the end of side wall 28, and welded as at 58 to the side wall 52 of the trough portion l8, and its top portion welded, as at 59 to the flange 53. The horizontal upper plate 41, has its end margin at plate 43 welded thereto, as at 60, and its inner longitudinal margin welded, as at 62, to the trough wall 52, as shown in Figs. 1 and 0. The minor intermediate plates it and it have their lower margins welded as at is and II respectively, to the top of plate I1, and

their inner margins, welded as at ll and II, respectively to the trough side wall 02. Finally, the side plate has its lower margin welded as at 01 to arm as, its top margin welded, as at 00 to the underside of plate l1 and its end margin at plate II welded as at ll, thereto. The removable end plate 04 has a perforation I0 aligning with a perforation II in wall ll for the shank of a bolt I! coacting with a nut It used to detachably secure the plate 44 against the ends of plates 48 and 40. The plate I is held against displacement by its lower margin resting upon arm SI and caught behind nose It. In order that access may be had to lubricating devices 21, without removing plate II, the latter is provided with a relatively large perforation It. The plate is, which may be made from the same pattern as plate 44, also has a relatively large perforation It to accommodate a part of the means 2!,as shown in Fig. 4.

It will be noted from Figs. 1 and 3 that the trough portion I0, while having upwardly diverging side walls I! and outstanding top flanges 53 extending thruout the length of the foot section, and the trough bottom terminating as at ll at the end of the foot section adapted for coupling relation with the pan section B, the trough bottom has its other or inner end It near the transverse center of the foot section leaving a zone I9, indicated in Fig. 3, where the trough, per se, is bottomless. It is in this zone 19 that the sprocket wheel 20 and upper part of shaft I9 may be ad- Justed to tension the conveyer chain and permit the chain to be "broken" as when adding more pan sections and conveyer chain, or dismembering the conveyor. Thus the shaft is is in spaced relation to the end 10 of the trough bottom 10, with the plane of the latter intersecting the shaft I0. The bottom 18 is placed as low as possible, so as to allow ample capacity for the trough and yet sufllcient room beneath the bottom 16 and the arms 32 for the lower run of the conveyer chain and its flights.

The side walls 28 have their lower portions welded, as at 80 to the outer longitudinal margins of the arms 12, and welded, as at 0| to the bottom of trough it. They are also welded as previously described, to the end plates 43, shown in Fig. 4.

We prefer to make the cross brace 30 of rolled angle metal, and locate it with the juncture 82 of its legs 03 and 04 lowermost, as shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the cross brace are welded as at 85 to the side walls 20, and the edges of the legs 83 and 84 are welded, as at 00, to the trough bottom 18. Thus the outer faces of the legs 83 and 84 converge downwardly serving as guides for any bent flights which may engage them, and present no obstruction to operation of the chain conveyer. This cross brace 30 avoids the necessity of any cross braces above the trough I0 and aids in providing a sturdy structure.

The bearings 2| are of block like formation and provided with upper and lower guideways 81 and B! for slidable engagement with the guide ribs 50 and BI, respectively. The bore 09 of each block is provided, in the example shown, with a bushing or liner 80 of wear resisting material such as brass and is relatively shorter than the bore 89, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, so as to leave end portions of the bore uncovered. A disc 9i inserted in the bore 89 closes one end of the bushing, at

the outer side of the bearing and since it is desired to render the bearings interchangeable, end to end on the the tail shaft Il,,the end faces I! are each provided with a recess II for a part of the means I! for adjusting the postion of the bearing longitudinally of the conveyer. Also since it is desired to provide means for efficient lubrication of the bearing, a lubricant way 8| is provided, leading from the bottom of each recess 03 to a companion lubricant way in the bushing 00. Either way 04 may receive the stem of device 23 for applying lubricant to the bearing, according to the position of the block in the guide or housing 21, that is, so the device It will be nearest the access opening II in wall N. If the bushing 80 of each bearing becomes worn on the inside, where greatest pressure comes upon it, the bearing may be changed, end for end, and the devices 23 placed in the opposite ways 0|, thus presenting unused wear surfaces to the tail shaft ends.

We also prefer to provide the tail shaft with lubricant reservoirs 80 in its ends, a circumferential external groove 91 around each reservoir, and a radial way 08 leading from each groove 01 to its respective reservoir. Thus a large quantity of grease may be forced into the reservoir, thru the device 23, the ways 00, and 05, the groove 91 and way 08, in readiness for use if the grease on the perimeter of the shaft becomes dry and the shaft starts to heat.

The adjustable slide plate 24 spans the distance between the shaft I9 and the bottom I6 of trough I0 thruout the amplitude of adjustment of the shaft and its sprocket 20 in zone 19. The means 20 for supporting this plate by the bearings 2| may comprise sleeves 99, welded, as at I00 to rearwardly extending lips IOI extending from the main body of the plate 24. The lips I0l are spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive a hub I02 of sprocket wheel 20, and a notch I03 is formed in the plate thru which the teeth of wheel 20 travel during operation of the conveyor. The outer end portions of the sleeves are preferably reduced in diameter, as at I04 so as to be accommodated in the bores of their respective bearings 2i and so that their outer ends may bear against the bushings in dust proof manner. By making the sleeves with an internal diameter noticeably greater than the diameter of shaft I9, the sleeves 99 are supported by the bearings 2i clear of the shaft I9 thus reducing wear and friction to a minimum.

It is preferred to dispose the plate 2| slightly higher at its end above the shaft I5 than at its forward end I05 which rests upon the trough bottom 10, as shown in Fig. 3 so as to insure intimat contact between the two thruout operation and adjustment of the conveyer. We also prefer to bevel or round the forward edge of the plate as at I06 and to "round" the plate, as at I01 between its forward edge and side edges, in the plane of the plate. Thus, when the conveyer is used to deliver supplies at the tail section end of the conveyor, by reversing the direction of travel of the conveyor chain, the material will be guided up the beveled edge I06. Also any bent flights will be elevated above the surface of the plate 24, before they reach the plate at its full width, by the chain and the center of the flights bearing upon the central top surface of the plate adjacent the beveled edge I06. In other words, by relieving the forward portion of plate 24 of angular corners, any bent flights will not encounter abrupt edges and hence the chain, without obstruction.

The means 22 for adiusting the position of the bearings 2i longitudinally of the conveyer is pref erably similar to such means in common use'with several notable exceptions. It is old in the art to provide a' thrust screw, and stationary nut for this purpose and in the example shown the means 22 comprises a thrust screw I, having a thrust end formation ill! at one end of its threaded shank H for reception in the recess II. and a head I l I at the other end of its threaded shank to facilitate rotating the screw, and a nut H2 having a threaded bore H3 for shank llil. Also the shank illi must be of suiiicient length so as to permit a wide range of adjustment of the bearing 2| along its guide way. It is desirable to normally dispose the sprocket 20 as near the rear end of the base ll as possible and thereby get the receiving end of the conveyer as near the face of the mine working as possible, yet to permit sufficient slack in the chain to "break" it as when inserting an additional length of chain and an additional pan section, it must be possible to move the bearings 2i a considerable distance toward the forward end of the base l1. Heretofore it has been the practice to make the tail section sumciently long that the screw I08 could be entirely unscrewed from the nut, without obstruction, when dismembering the tail section. We have provided an arrangement whereby we reduce the overall length of the tail section and still enable dismembering to be accomplished with the screw having the same adjusting capacity as those in common use. This is in part accomplished by locating an abutment I, forming a part of the means 22, secured to the base i1 and having an abutment face H5 for the nut H2 located a distance from the leg or flange l5 substantially equal to the length of the screw I08, less the thickness of the nut I I 2 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. Then w provide this abutment ill with a slot H6 open as at H1, laterally of the tail section whereby the screw and nut may be bodily placed and removed, with the shank H0 accommodated in the slot H6, provided the screw is first fed inwardly, or outwardly with respect to the nut until its thrust end is substantially within the threaded bore of the nut as shown in Fig. 8. After assembly the screw and nut as thus shown and described, the nut may be accommodated between the abutment l I l and end wall 43 of the guide or housing 21, and the shank of the screw disposed in slot Iii, whereupon the screw may be rotated to extend thru openin in wall 43 and engage the bearin 2| in the usual way.

If desired, the abutment Ill may also be used to brace the structure by being cut to substantially the pattern of the end walls 43 and M, and securely welded, in spaced relation to wall 43. For instance its inside edge may be welded, as at H8, to side wall 28, and, as at H9, to the side wall 52 of trough l8; its top margin welded, as at I to the trough flange 53 and its lower margin welded, as at Hi, to the bottom 26. We may also provide short transverse plates I22 and I23 above and below the nut H2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, welded as at i2l and I25 to the wall 43 and abutment I M, respectively, which also serve to brace the structure and prevent the nut from rotating as the screw is turned for adjusting purposes.

Another advantage of this means 22 is that if the thrust end formation Ills of the screw Ill may travel with becomes upset or damaged, so that it is dimcult to unscrew or separate it from the nut, the screw may be turned until the thrust end formation III is in or near the nut, and the two removed from the tail section, where appropriate tools may be conveniently used to remedy the defect. This is not possible in constructions where the nut is welded or otherwise affixed to the section base. or where the screw must be entirely disconnected from the nut, before the latter may be removed.

It is believed the operation of the conveyer equipped with a tail section constructed according to this invention will be understood from the foregoing description. However, it may be noted from Figs. 1 and 3 that a smooth traveling surface is provided for the flights, and coal is prevented from entering between the slide plate 2| and the trough bottom It; that the eifective conveyins p rtion of the tail section may be disposed very close to the face of the mine working by avoiding any cover above the tail shaft and end sprocket; and that the conveyer may be used to deliver material to the workman with comparative safety by avoiding any cross bracing and any "hold down or guide sprocket, or roller working above the chain.

It will also be noted that we avoid that which is usually termed a skid pan at the bottom of the frame, thus enabling us to reduce the over-all height of the section by doing away with the thickness of the metal from which such skid pens are constructed beneath the tail shaft. This is important since the flights of conveyer chains are frequentliy bent, and where skid pans are provided, the tail shaft is usually spaced above the upper surface of the skid pan a distance such as will allow for clearance of bent flights. In so doing the over-all height of the tail section must be increased.

Iclaim:

1. In an endless chain conveyer, the combination of a base; a trough for the upper run of the conveyer chain; a foot shaft carrying an end sprocket wheel, fixed thereto. for the conveyer chain; bearings movably carried by said base for revolubly supporting said shaft crosswise of the conveyer and in spaced relation to the end of the bottom of said trough; means for adjusting said bearings longitudinally of the conveyer; a bottom slide plat spanning the distance between said shaft and the end of the trough, and slidably engaging the bottom of the trough; and means for pivotally supporting said plate by said bearings, free of said shaft.

2. In an endless chain conveyer, the combination of a base; a trough for the upper run of the conveyer chain; a foot shaft carrying an end sprocket wheel for the conveyer chain; bearings movably carried by said base for supporting said shaft crosswise of the conveyer and in spaced relation to the end of the bottom of said trough; means for adjusting said bearings longitudinally of the conveyer; a bottom slide plate spanning the distance between said shaft and the end of the trough, and slidably engaging the upper surface of the bottom of said trough; and means for pivotally supporting said plate by said bearings, free of said shaft.

3. In an endless chain conveyer the combination with a chain provided with flights extending to each side thereof of a base; a trough for the upper run of the conveyer chain and flights; a foot shaft carrying an end sprocket wheel for the conveyer chain; bearings movably carried by said base for supporting said shaft crosswise of the conveyer and in spaced relation to the end of the bottom of said trough; means for adjusting said bearings longitudinally of the conveyer; a bottom slide plate, upon which said chain and flights slide, said plate spanning the distance between said shaft and the end of the trough, and slidably engaging the upper surface of the bottom of said trough, the bottom plate at its junctures between its cross margin with its side margins, above the bottom of the trough, being rounded in the plane of the plate to accommodate bent flights; and means for supporting said plate by said hearings.

4. In an endless chain conveyer the combination of a base: a trough for the upper run of the conveyer chain; a foot shaft carrying an end sprocket wheel for the conveyor chain; bearings movably carried by said base for supporting said shaft crosswise of the conveyer and in spaced relation to the end of the bottom of said trough; means for adjusting said bearings longitudinally of the conveyer; a bottom slide plate spanning the distance between said shaft and the end of the trough, and slidably engaging the bottom of the trough: and sleeves, one to each side of said sprocket wheel, surrounding said foot shaft, secured to said bottom shaft and having its end portion pivotally supported by the adjacent shaft bearing.

5. In a tail section for chain conveyers, the combination of a base including laterally spaced apart bearing uides adjacent one end thereof and laterally spaced apart leg members adjacent the other end thereof; bearings carried by said guides, movable toward and from said leg members; a tail shaft carried by said bearings and extending between said guides; and means at each side of said base for adjusting the position of said bearings, each of said means comprising a relatively long adjusting screw having a thrust end rotatably engaging its respective bearing and extending longitudinally of its respective side of said base, a nut for said screw and an abutment for said nut, carried by said base, intermediate said bearing guide and leg member, the nut engaging face of said abutment being spaced from said leg member, a distance substantially equal to the over-all length of said screw, less the thickness of said nut whereby the screw and nut may be bodily removed laterally from said base when the thrust end of of the screw is at least partially in the nut.

6. In a tail section for chain conveyers, the combination of a base including laterally spaced apart bearing guides adjacent one end thereof and laterally spaced apart leg members adjacent the other end thereof; bearings carried by said guides, movable toward and from said leg members; a tail shaft carried by said bearings and extending between said guides; and means at each side of said base for adjusting the position of said bearings, each of said means comprising a relatively long adjusting screw having a thrust end rotatably engaging its respective bearing and extending longitudinally of its respective side of said base, a not for said screw and an abutment if)! said nut, carried by said base, intermediate said bearing guide and leg member, said abutment having a slot extending transversely of the tail section and open to the side thereof accommodating said screw and having a nut engagin face spaced from said leg member a distance substantially equal to the over-all length of said screw less the thickness of said nut, whereby the screw and nut may be bodily removed laterally from the base when the thrust end of the screw is at least partially in the nut.

'7. In a tail section for conveyers including a chain and a, flight, a base including a substantially H-shaped combined skid and flight guide bottom, said bottom being disposed with its central portion extending transversely of the tail section, and its arms to one side of said central portion serving as guides upon which the flight may ride, a tail shaft, bearings for each end portions of said shaft, and guides for said bearings mounted upon the other arms of said bottom.

8. In a tail section for conveyers including a chain and a flight, a base including a substantially H-shaped combined skid and flight guide bottom. said bottom being disposed with its central portion extending transversely of the tail section, and a first pair of arms to one side of said central portion elevated above the second pair of arms to the other side of said central portion and serving as guides upon which the flight may ride, an end ground support for the free end portions of said first arms, a tailshaft, bearings for the end portions of said shaft, and guides for said bearings mounted upon said second arms of said bottom.

9. In a tail section for conveyers including a chain and a flight, a trough portion; a tall shaft carrying an end sprocket wheel for the chain; bearings for the end portions of said shaft; and a base for supporting said trough portion and bearings, comprising a combined skid and flight guide bottom including an intermediate transverse portion, a first pair of spaced arms extending to one side of said transverse portion, longitudinally of the conveyer and a second pair of spaced arms extending to the other side of said transverse portion, longitudinally of the conveyer, guides for said bearings mounted upon said first pair of arms, vertical walls carried by and secured to said second pair of arms, and secured to said trough, and a. cross brace secured to said walls and bearing against the underside of the bottom of said trough.

10. In a. tail section for conveyers including a chain and a flight, a trough portion; a tail shaft carrying an end sprocket wheel for the chain; bearings for the end portions of said shaft; and a base for supporting said trough portion and bearings, comprising a combined skid and flight guide bottom including an intermediate transverse portion, a first pair of spaced arms extending to one side of said transverse portion, longitudinally of the conveyer, and a second pair of spaced arms extending to the other side of said transverse portion, longitudinally of the conveyer, guides for said bearings mounted upon said first pair of arms, and vertical walls carried by and secured to said second pair of arms, extending longitudinally of and secured to said trough.

ll. In an end section of a conveyor of the endless chain type, the combination with a cross shaft carrying an end sprocket for the chain, of a bearing for each end of the shaft, a base for adjustabl supporting said bearings, and means including a thrust screw and nut for adjusting each of said bearings, the said bearings each being of block-like formation and provided with a pushing for the shaft end, oppositely disposed recesses in its end walls either of which may receive the thrust end of said screw, and guide ways open to its upper and lower faces, and said base provided with longitudinally extending upper and lower guides extending into said guide ways. and said base supporting said nut, whereby the cross shaft may be adjusted longitudinally of the conveyer by said screws and the bearings changed and for end to present unwom thrust surfaces to the shaft ends.

12. In an endless chain conveyer, the combination of a base; a trough for the upper run of the conveyor chain, carried by said base, and having its bottom spaced above the bottom of the base suflicient to permit the lower run of the conveyer chain to pass between the bottoms of the base and trough; a foot shaft carrying an end sprocket wheel for the conveyor chain; bearings movably carried by said base for supporting said shaft crosswise or the conveyer, and in spaced relation to the end of the bottom of said trough and with the plane of the bottom of the trough intersecting the shaft; means for adjusting said bearings longitudinally of the conveyer; a bottom slide plate spanning the distance between the upper portion of said shaft and the end 01' the trough. and slidably engaging the upper portion 01' the bottom of the trough; and means for pivotaliy supporting said plate by said bearings.

ARMISTEAD R. LONG. JOHN B. LONG.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

0c tober 9, 19MB ARMISTEAD R. LONG, ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: column, line 28, claim h, for "shaft" Page 5, first read --plate--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case Signed and sealed this 22nd day of January,

(Seal) in the Patent Office.

Leslie Frazer First Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

per and lower guides extending into said guide ways. and said base supporting said nut, whereby the cross shaft may be adjusted longitudinally of the conveyer by said screws and the bearings changed and for end to present unwom thrust surfaces to the shaft ends.

12. In an endless chain conveyer, the combination of a base; a trough for the upper run of the conveyor chain, carried by said base, and having its bottom spaced above the bottom of the base suflicient to permit the lower run of the conveyer chain to pass between the bottoms of the base and trough; a foot shaft carrying an end sprocket wheel for the conveyor chain; bearings movably carried by said base for supporting said shaft crosswise or the conveyer, and in spaced relation to the end of the bottom of said trough and with the plane of the bottom of the trough intersecting the shaft; means for adjusting said bearings longitudinally of the conveyer; a bottom slide plate spanning the distance between the upper portion of said shaft and the end 01' the trough. and slidably engaging the upper portion 01' the bottom of the trough; and means for pivotaliy supporting said plate by said bearings.

ARMISTEAD R. LONG. JOHN B. LONG.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

0c tober 9, 19MB ARMISTEAD R. LONG, ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: column, line 28, claim h, for "shaft" Page 5, first read --plate--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case Signed and sealed this 22nd day of January,

(Seal) in the Patent Office.

Leslie Frazer First Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

